Morphine may cause serious or life-threatening breathing problems, especially at the beginning of your treatment and any time your dose is increased. Your doctor will monitor you carefully during your treatment. Your doctor will adjust your dose carefully to control your pain and decrease the risk that you will experience serious breathing problems. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had slowed breathing or asthma. Your doctor may tell you not to take morphine. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; a group of lung diseases that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema), a head injury, any condition that increases the amount of pressure in your brain, or kyphoscoliosis (curving of the spine that may cause breathing problems). The risk that you will develop breathing problems may be higher if you are an older adult or are weakened or malnourished due to disease. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment: slowed breathing, long pauses between breaths, or shortness of breath.

Taking certain other medications during your treatment with morphine may increase the risk that you will experience breathing problems or other serious, life-threatening side effects. Tell your doctor if you are taking or plan to take any of the following medications: cimetidine (Tagamet); other narcotic pain medications; medications for anxiety, seizures, depression, mental illness, or nausea; muscle relaxants; sedatives; sleeping pills; or tranquilizers.

Drinking alcohol, taking prescription or non-prescription medications that contain alcohol, or using street drugs during your treatment with morphine increases the risk that you will experience breathing problems or other serious, life-threatening side effects. If you are taking Avinza brand long-acting capsules, it is especially important that you do not drink any drinks that contain alcohol or take any prescription or non-prescription medications that contain alcohol. Alcohol may cause the morphine in Avinza®brand long-acting capsules to be released in your body too quickly, causing serious health problems or death. Talk to your doctor about the risks of drinking alcohol or using street drugs during your treatment with other morphine products.

Morphine may be habit-forming. Do not take more of it, take it more often, or take it in a different way than directed by your doctor. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family drinks or has ever drunk large amounts of alcohol, uses or has ever used street drugs, has overused prescription medications, or if you have or have ever had depression or another mental illness. There is a greater risk that you will overuse morphine if you have or have ever had any of these conditions.

Do not allow anyone else to take your medication. Morphine may harm or cause death to other people who take your medication, especially children. Keep morphine in a safe place so that no one else can take it accidentally or on purpose. Be especially careful to keep morphine out of the reach of children. Keep track of how many tablets, or capsules, or how much liquid is left so you will know if any medication is missing.Dispose of any unneeded morphine capsules, tablets, or liquid properly according to instructions. (See STORAGE and DISPOSAL.)

Swallow the extended-release tablets or capsules whole. Do not split, chew, dissolve, or crush them. If you swallow broken, chewed, crushed, or dissolved extended-release tablets or capsules, you may receive too much morphine at once instead of receiving the medication slowly over time. This may cause serious breathing problems or death. If you are unable to swallow the capsules whole, follow the instructions in the "HOW should this medication be used?" section below to dissolve the capsule contents in applesauce.

Morphine oral solution (liquid) comes in three different concentrations (amount of medication contained in a given amount of solution). The solution with the highest concentration (100 mg/5 mL) should only be taken by people who are tolerant (used to the effects of the medication) to opioid medications. Each time you receive your medication, check to be sure that you receive the solution with the concentration prescribed by your doctor. Be sure that you know how much medication you should take and how to measure your dose.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you take morphine regularly during your pregnancy, your baby may experience life-threatening withdrawal symptoms after birth. Tell your baby's doctor right away if your baby experiences any of the following symptoms: irritability, hyperactivity, abnormal sleep, high-pitched cry, uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body, vomiting, diarrhea, or failure to gain weight.

Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with morphine and each time you fill your prescription if a Medication Guide is available for the morphine product you are taking. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You can also visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website ( Web Site) or the manufacturer's website to obtain the Medication Guide.

WHY is this medicine prescribed?

Morphine is used to relieve moderate to severe pain. Morphine extended-release tablets and capsules are only used to relieve severe (around-the-clock) pain that cannot be controlled by the use of other pain medications. Morphine extended-release tablets and capsules should not be used to treat pain that can be controlled by medication that is taken as needed. Morphine is in a class of medications called opiate (narcotic) analgesics. It works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain.

HOW should this medicine be used?

Morphine comes as a tablet, a solution (liquid), an extended-release (long-acting) tablet, and as an extended-release (long-acting) capsule to take by mouth. The regular tablet and oral solution are usually taken every 4 hours as needed for pain. MS Contin brand long-acting tablets are usually taken every 8 hours or every 12 hours. Kadian brand long-acting capsules are usually taken with or without food every 12 hours or every 24 hours. Avinza brand long-acting capsules are usually taken once a day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.

If you are taking morphine solution, use the dosing cup or syringe that comes with the medication to measure your dose. Be sure that you know how many milliliters of the liquid you should take. Ask your pharmacist if you have any question about how much medication you should take or how to use the dosing cup or syringe.

If you are taking Kadian brand long-acting capsules and you have a gastrostomy tube (surgically inserted feeding tube), ask your doctor or pharmacist how to administer the medication through your tube.

If you are unable to swallow the long-acting capsules (Avinza, Kadian), you can carefully open a capsule, sprinkle all of the beads that it contains on a spoonful of cold or room temperature applesauce, and swallow the entire mixture immediately without chewing or crushing the beads. Then rinse your mouth with a little water and swallow the water to be sure that you have swallowed all the medication. Do not mix the beads into any other food. Do not save mixtures of medication and applesauce for later.

Your doctor may start you on a low dose of morphine and gradually increase your dose until your pain is controlled. Your doctor may adjust your dose at any time during your treatment if your pain is not controlled. If you feel that your pain is not controlled, call your doctor. Do not change the dose of your medication without talking to your doctor.

This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

What SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS should I follow?

Before taking morphine,

tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to morphine, any other medications, or any of the inactive ingredients in the type of morphine tablets, capsules or solution you plan to take. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the inactive ingredients.

tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention the medications listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section and any of the following: antihistamines (found in cold and allergy medications); buprenorphine (Butrans, in Suboxone); butorphanol (Stadol); diuretics ('water pills'); nalbuphine (Nubain); pentazocine (Talwin, in Talacen); and quinidine (in Nuedexta). Also tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medications or if you have stopped taking them within the past 2 weeks: monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, including isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), and tranylcypromine (Parnate). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you more carefully for side effects.

tell your doctor if you have or have ever had any of the conditions mentioned in the IMPORTANT WARNING section or paralytic ileus (condition in which digested food does not move through the intestines). Your doctor may tell you not to take morphine.

tell your doctor if you have or have ever had a blockage in your stomach or intestines; seizures; difficulty swallowing; prostatic hypertrophy (enlargement of a male reproductive gland); urinary problems; low blood pressure; Addison's disease (condition in which the adrenal gland does not make enough of certain natural substances) or liver, kidney, pancreas, thyroid, or gallbladder disease.

tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding.

if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking morphine.

you should know that this medication may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.

you should know that morphine may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. To avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up.

you should know that morphine may cause constipation. Talk to your doctor about changing your diet or using other medications to prevent or treat constipation while you are taking morphine.

What SPECIAL DIETARY instructions should I follow?

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

What should I do IF I FORGET to take a dose?

If you are taking morphine tablets or liquid, your doctor will probably tell you to take the medication as needed.

If you have been told to take scheduled doses of the tablets or liquid, or if you are taking a long-acting product other than Avinza extended-release capsules, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it, and do not take the next dose at your regularly scheduled time. Instead, allow the same amount of time that you usually allow between doses before taking your next dose. If you remember when it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

If you are taking Avinza brand extended-release capsules, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take more than one dose of this medication in 24 hours.

What SIDE EFFECTS can this medicine cause?

Morphine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

dizziness

drowsiness

nausea

vomiting

stomach pain and cramps

diarrhea

loss of appetite

weight loss

dry mouth

sweating

weakness

headache

agitation

nervousness

mood changes

confusion

small pupils (black circles in the middle of the eyes

difficulty urinating or pain when urinating

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

blue or purple color to the skin

fast or slow heartbeat

seizures

extreme drowsiness

fainting

chest pain

fever

hives

rash

itching

swelling of the eyes, face, mouth, lips or throat

hoarseness

difficulty breathing or swallowing

Morphine may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at Web Site] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

What should I know about STORAGE and DISPOSAL of this medication?

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Flush any morphine tablets, extended-release tablets, extended-release capsules, and liquid that are outdated or no longer needed down the toilet so that others will not take them. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.

What should I do in case of OVERDOSE?

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

Symptoms of overdose may include:

slow, shallow, or irregular breathing

sleepiness

loss of consciousness

limp muscles

cold, clammy skin

small pupils

slow heartbeat

blurred vision

nausea

fainting

What OTHER INFORMATION should I know?

Keep all appointments with your doctor.

This prescription is not refillable. If you are taking morphine to control your pain on a long term basis, be sure to schedule appointments with your doctor so that you do not run out of medication. If you are taking morphine on a short-term basis, call your doctor if you continue to experience pain after you finish the medication.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

¶This branded product is no longer on the market. Generic alternatives may be available.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

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